What a deer! I have seen this deer before, the bad thing is that instead of hearing my 270 go off I got to here my alarm clock.

GREAT ARTICLE, TRAVIS!!! YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT WRITER!! YOUR INTELLIGENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM DEFINITELY SHINES IN THIS ARTICLE. I AM ANXIOUS TO READ MORE OF YOUR ARTICLES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS HUNT. AS YOU MAY KNOW, I AM THE WIFE OF LYNN HENSLEY, THE HUNTER. AS SUCH I HAVE SEEN THE DEER UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL AND HEARD THE "HUNT STORY" MANY TIMES. IT IS A GOOD STORY THAT DESERVES TO BE TOLD IN YOUR GREAT MAGAZINE. I APPRECIATE YOUR SEEING THIS AND TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE IT WITH YOUR READERS. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE. KAREN

What a buck! Your persistence paid off, nicely done.

Karen and Lynn,

Thanks for the nice comments about the article. I really enjoyed covering this story, because the buck was taken the right way. Also, I know exactly how difficult it can be to pattern and hunt a trophy-class buck in that neck of the woods. No fields, farmland,or food plots can be extremely tough. Thickets, cliffs, and miles of hardwoods forces a deer hunter to take their scouting to a higher level.

All of the bucks that I've taken from the Daniel Boone National Forest have been hard earned and that's what makes things even sweeter. Lynn you logged in a lot of hours for this buck (3-years) and you deserve to hang that monster on your wall. Way to stick with it!

Travis Faulkner
Outdoor Life
ttfaulkner@msn.com

Travis, We are finding more big bucks in higher level of altitudes out here in NW Montana the place's where we find where these thick wooded area bucks live it is like a jungle most the year so they are living far away from us as they can. I guess some are born with a 6th sense for survival they like areas where they have the uperhand many times I wont even see the deer beded but they know soon as the tree gets between I & him he knows that is enuff cover for them to escape all you get to see is the thing that looks like ribs on his head then hes gone just a faint memory but one that gives you that rush knowing there is that big of bucks in the area. Thats why it is amazing to see wild free range monster bucks go down. Thanks for storie & good job

Great Article! This is a massive buck...congratulations Lynn!

Well deserved buck Lynn you'll enjoy that one on your wall for sure.
Good public land has good bucks we public land hunters should keep that our secret. ;-D

Great story Travis and congrats Lynn. Its good to see when someones hard work pays off. Its a very nice trophy.

Yea Travis those big public land deer are challenging you have to find the chink in their armor. From my experience there are lots of them out there and it seems most hunters ignore the opportunity.
While fall turkey hunting on a 15,000 acre public parcel I found several trophy class bucks. A couple of them within bow range, alas I had a shotgun...
took some outstanding pics and I have GPS cooridinates some might pay for. ;-D

Now your secret is out Travis and here everyone thought you had some little private hidey hole...
Come to think of it the public land / big buck secret has been disclosed. We best be more careful with your secrets; it will get too crowded out there. ;-)

Wow what a buck! Congratulations Lynn on the buck of a lifetime. Thanks for the article Travis. What makes this buck even more special than his amazing rack is the fact that he was taken on public land and under rules of fair chase. Good luck in the future Lynn.

THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME TO COMMENT ON MY DEER. ALL YOUR KIND WORDS AND CONGRATULATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. AGAIN, A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO TRAVIS FAULKNER, THE BEST.

Big O,

As a hunter, it's just good to see a a buck like that being tagged from public land. This particular deer was taken from an area that has no food plots or agricultural land period. Miles of hardwoods and thickets were able to produce this giant. Deer like these give all us hope.

Travis Faulkner
Outdoor Life
ttfaulkner@msn.com

Treedemon,

My biggest bodied buck ever was from the open country of KS on a bow hunt. There are some absolute monsters running around in that state. In fact, it looks like you found a giant set of sheds from your picture. Keep us posted on what you find this year. How difficult are sheds to find in your neck of the woods?

Travis Faulkner
Outdoor Life
ttfaulkner@msn.com

Travis, If any of the BBZ plans a hunt in Montana there is a place that will kindle your hunting spirit called Seeley Lake Montana. There just over the Mission Range from me & I've seen some gagers come out of there. I'm talking massive antler whitetails with the dark dark brown color. This area hasent been known to have big whitetails & I notice there being pretty secretive about letting the big whitetail secret out. I was coming back from seeley after a bball game it was like I entered a movie script because we just get out of town & there where deer on the road! I'm talking the whole road bothsides it was like driving threw a cattle drive. After about 160 yrds they kinda thinned out of the road but you could see there eyes along side the roads for a ways down the road. Come to find out years later a guy tells me that wasent rear back then because big numbers of deer would gather around the roads to eat the salt off the roads. Thats when they used salt on the road now they have someting else they use.

treedemon, I would like to see some of sheds you find also please post us some photo's!!djh

travis, yup you got our e-mail addres! I went shed hunting no luck in the snow but it gets the blood pumping when whitetail & mule deer bucks & bull elk all using the same trails. Its what keeps me going one day I find nothing next time a little fork horned bleached out whitetail & the time after that might be 3 or 4 brown elk antlers!! I'm still working on my first shed of the year.djh